Bill 95.

Summary.

The bill proposes to reorganize the management of Nicolás A. Solano Regional Hospital (Hospital Regional Nicolás A. Solano) and establish its governing board (Patronato del Hospital Regional Nicolás A. Solano) as a nonprofit legal entity serving the public interest and attached to the Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud). It would give the Board legal personality, its own assets, and administrative, economic, financial and operational autonomy. Its headquarters would be at the hospital in the district of La Chorrera, West Panama Province, and it would be responsible for managing, maintaining and protecting hospital facilities and property (Arts. 1-2).

Management of the hospital and the Board would be guided by autonomy, quality, effectiveness, efficiency, equity, humanity, community participation, productivity, accountability, solidarity, sustainability and transparency. Information about their decisions and actions would be accessible through technology platforms created by the Government Innovation Authority (Autoridad de Innovación Gubernamental). As a secondary-level public hospital, it would provide preventive, curative and rehabilitation care; train health personnel; conduct research; promote health; respond to emergencies; and apply patient safety and compassionate care standards (Arts. 3-4).

The Board would comprise the Minister of Health or a designee, who would chair it; the Director of the West Panama Health Region (Región de Salud de Panamá Oeste); and representatives of physicians, administrative and support staff, community organizations, the business sector, and user and patient associations. Organizations mentioned as potential participants include the Lions Club (Club de Leones), the La Chorrera Rotary Club (Club Rotario de La Chorrera), the Junior Chamber of Industry (Cámara Junior de Industria), the West Panama chapter of the Association of Business Executives (Asociación de Ejecutivos de Empresas capítulo de Panamá Oeste), and the West Panama chapter of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Cámara de Comercio e Industria de capítulo de Panamá Oeste). The bill regulates alternates, the election and recall of representatives, the public drawing of community representatives, unpaid service and residence in the district of La Chorrera. For members who do not serve by virtue of the specified health posts, it establishes a 3-year term with one reelection. It also sets disqualifications based on family relationships or hospital employment and grounds for leaving office (Arts. 5-8).

The Board would issue its rules and manuals, set policies, appoint hospital medical management, and approve the organizational structure, plans, budget, financial reports, and specified agreements, contracts and appointments. It would approve urgent expenditures exceeding 30,000 balboas (B/. 30,000.00), manage resources, set fees following a recommendation, and report annually on its activities. It would elect an executive committee each year, hold ordinary meetings monthly and make decisions with a simple-majority quorum. Representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas) and the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic (Contraloría General de la República) would attend its meetings with the right to speak. The Office of Organization and Institutional Development (Oficina de Organización y Desarrollo Institucional) would help define the hospital’s organizational structure (Arts. 9-12).

The Board would appoint the medical director and deputy medical director for a 5-year term, renewable for one additional term after a favorable evaluation, subject to requirements concerning nationality, residence, professional qualifications, experience and the absence of certain convictions or family relationships. The director would manage services, personnel, plans and resources; submit documents for approval; impose penalties under the human resources regulations; and authorize expenditures of up to 30,000 balboas (B/. 30,000.00). The deputy director would stand in for the director during temporary and unforeseen absences. The bill establishes grounds for removal and provides for suspension during investigations (Arts. 13-17).

The public entities involved are the Ministry of Health, Nicolás A. Solano Regional Hospital, the Government Innovation Authority, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic. The provisions could be of interest to patients, health personnel, community organizations, health care providers and the West Panama business sector.